Our View: Rules of the road

Summer is upon us, and cyclists once again take to the trails and roads. It is an apt time for reiterating just how and why we need to share the roads.

Summer is upon us, and cyclists once again take to the trails and roads. It is an apt time for reiterating just how and why we need to share the roads.

Cyclists should understand that they are, from a legal standpoint, the same as any other vehicle on the road. They should travel with, not against, motorized traffic, and must abide by the same rules. This includes stopping at stop signs, signaling when turning and giving pedestrians the right of way.

Some cyclists would like to believe that they can enjoy the privileges of pedestrians when it comes to sidewalks and crosswalks — that oncoming motorized traffic should stop when they are in the crosswalk. The fact is, however, cyclists are not considered pedestrians unless they dismount and walk their bikes across the street.

Most cyclists seem to understand this and either choose to wait until there are no vehicles coming and ride across or get off their bikes and trek to the other side of the road. A handful, however, seem bent on having it both ways, tempting collisions, or worse.

Automobile drivers, too, should pay extra attention. Just as the number of cars climbs during the warmer months, so too do the number of walkers and cyclists.

Not every crosswalk is well-marked, but one can be relatively confident that town centers and areas near schools, parks and playgrounds are more likely to have elevated levels of pedestrian traffic.

Likewise, drivers need to learn to share the road with all other vehicles. This is especially important when one vehicle is attempting to overtake a bicyclist. Vehicles traveling in the unobstructed lane generally have the right of way, and those who are slowed by a bicyclist must be patient.

Although most of these rules have been with us for some time, technology has thrown another wrinkle into the mix. Although the dangers of texting and driving have been well-documented, a texting driver is more than 20 times more likely to be in an accident than a nontexting driver. Pedestrians, in particular, sometimes appear oblivious to their surroundings, a dangerous approach whether you are behind the wheel or not.

In the end, common courtesy and common sense should be the universal approach when it comes to sharing the road.